Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Easthampton, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Easthampton, MA: $2,799 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chicago, IL, United States
Easthampton, MA, United States
Chicago, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,037
/mo nomad
Easthampton, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,799
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Easthampton, MA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Easthampton, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,799 in Easthampton, MA, rent included.

  • Chicago, IL $3,037
  • Easthampton, MA $2,799

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,090 in Easthampton, MA, rent included.

  • Chicago, IL $4,518
  • Easthampton, MA $4,090

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,381 in Easthampton, MA, rent included.

  • Chicago, IL $5,999
  • Easthampton, MA $5,381

Chicago, IL costs about 9% more than Easthampton, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Easthampton, MA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Easthampton, MA by 106%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Easthampton, MA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.71 $20.71
$17.82 $17.82
16.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.2 $89.2
$81.2 $81.2
9.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.19 $13.19
$13.68 $13.68
-3.58%
Cappuccino
$5.66 $5.66
$5.55 $5.55
1.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 $2.64
$2.36 $2.36
11.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 $2.28
$1.84 $1.84
23.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.87 $6.87
$4.92 $4.92
39.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.84 $8.84
$7.88 $7.88
12.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Easthampton, MA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 $1.25
$1.08 $1.08
15.74%
White Bread (500g)
$3.72 $3.72
$3.72 $3.72
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.39 $5.39
$5.36 $5.36
0.56%
Eggs
$4.74 $4.74
$4.65 $4.65
1.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.84 $13.84
$11.08 $11.08
24.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.40 $14.40
$14.10 $14.10
2.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.38 $18.38
$17.73 $17.73
3.67%
Apples (1kg)
$5.22 $5.22
$6.84 $6.84
-23.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.79 $1.79
10.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.06 $4.06
$6.80 $6.80
-40.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.97 $4.97
$5.61 $5.61
-11.41%
Potato (1kg)
$2.67 $2.67
$2.83 $2.83
-5.65%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$4.44 $4.44
-40.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.24 $2.24
$3.09 $3.09
-27.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.13 $3.13
$2.32 $2.32
34.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.82 $13.82
$13.93 $13.93
-0.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.88 $14.88
$13.58 $13.58
9.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.15 $2.15
18.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 $3.51
$4.05 $4.05
-13.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Easthampton, MA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.92 $1.92
26.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.5 $73.5
$67.0 $67.0
9.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 $3.18
$3.17 $3.17
0.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.39 $1.39
$1.94 $1.94
-28.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.03 $25.03
$31.39 $31.39
-20.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 $1.20
$1.08 $1.08
11.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K $35.0K
$28.0K $28.0K
25.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K $26.7K
$26.9K $26.9K
-0.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Easthampton, MA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$194 $194
$325 $325
-40.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.5 $69.5
$107 $107
-34.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.6 $61.6
$81.5 $81.5
-24.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Easthampton, MA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.90 $47.90
$40.65 $40.65
17.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.34 $27.34
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.81 $17.81
$14.49 $14.49
22.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Easthampton, MA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,794 $1,794
$1,222 $1,222
46.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.9K $31.9K
$29.7K $29.7K
7.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Easthampton, MA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.0 $67.0
$44.51 $44.51
50.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.1 $52.1
$29.49 $29.49
76.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 $102
$80.2 $80.2
26.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 $144
$99.7 $99.7
44.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Easthampton, MA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,526 $2,526
$1,568 $1,568
61.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,578 $1,578
$1,258 $1,258
25.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,738 $4,738
$2,507 $2,507
89.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,693 $2,693
$2,128 $2,128
26.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,190 $4,190
$2,713 $2,713
54.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,768 $2,768
$2,035 $2,035
35.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Easthampton, MA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,931 $4,931
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.81
6.64
2.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Easthampton, MA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
$1.6K
Easthampton, MA
$1.3K 20.3% $320
Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
$447
Easthampton, MA
$449 0.3% $1.3
Eating Out
Chicago, IL
$345
Easthampton, MA
$307 10.9% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
$326
Easthampton, MA
$513 57.6% $188
Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
$164
Easthampton, MA
$114 30.3% $50
Getting Around
Chicago, IL
$93
Easthampton, MA
$88 6.2% $5.8
Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
$84
Easthampton, MA
$70 16.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,568 in Easthampton, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $81 in Easthampton, MA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $449 in Easthampton, MA – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Chicago, IL
🇺🇸 Easthampton, MA
🕒 Local time
17:26 5:26 PM
18:26 6:26 PM
1 h ahead of Chicago, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,746,388
16,053
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chicago, IL Easthampton, MA 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chicago, IL
  • Easthampton, MA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Chicago, IL vs Easthampton, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Chicago, IL and in Easthampton, MA compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,799 in Easthampton, MA – Easthampton, MA comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Chicago, IL compared to Easthampton, MA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,198 in Easthampton, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Chicago, IL and Easthampton, MA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Easthampton, MA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,568 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $81 in Easthampton, MA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Chicago, IL and in Easthampton, MA?
Public transport costs about 9% less in Easthampton, MA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Where should families live: Chicago, IL or Easthampton, MA?
Families tend to lean toward Easthampton, MA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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